Yu-Gi-Oh: The Dimensional Tournament
by WCHpon3
Summary: The power of dimension travel has made it's way into the hands of evil, and yet, the decision to run a tournament in an unused dimension seemingly is the order of the day. With no recollection of where they are and what they are doing, over 200 duellists must fight to call themselves the champion, and earn a wish that they desire, and ANYTHING goes!
1. Welcome to the Tournament, Yugi-Boy P1

Author's Note: Welcome to a little project that I am about to embark on. This is going to be a bold step to showcase some of my writing that I haven't done for a number of years on here. I plan on merging all six series of Yu-Gi-Oh together along with other known archetypes. Archetypes will be added until the first 2019 ban list in the TCG along with any extra cards. In short, there should be a whole host of chapters coming out of this, and my plan is to get one out every month or so. (Please don't hold me to this, I will never forget this!) Without further ado, welcome to my big Yu-Gi-Oh adventure and I implore you all for advice and critique for the future.

Signed, WCH, budding author.

In the darkest depths of an underground facility, the only light that illuminated the cold and unwelcoming laboratory was the harsh blue flickers of computer screens. Men and women in white lab coats, sweat dripping off of their brows, trying to correct calculations were frantically at work, looking to perfect the idea of a deranged millionaire, to shape the world as people knew it. For them, this was more than a guaranteed income, searching for a light at the end of a sci-fi tunnel which seemed helplessly out of reach, if it was not for one scientist who found the miracle which would bring a change into how the world would be viewed.

"Master Pegasus sir! I think we have found the solution!" The scientist excitedly spoke, the light glinting off of his worn glasses as he looked down at his findings. Across the room, sat nonchalantly flicking through page after page of cartoon madness was his millionaire boss. Taking a sip out of his half-finished and pristine wine glass of a thirty-year-old Malbec, he chuckled from behind his lilac hair which draped down to his shoulders like curtains. His features were rather dainty, almost like they had been carved out of glass and delicate to touch however accompanying the slenderness and delicateness was a sharp and extravagant exterior. His suit was crisp and angled, showcasing a more serious side, yakuza like with the lighter red colour. His trousers matched impeccably as he sat with one leg resting on top of the other, showcasing his white socks and pointed white shoes. But as he stood up, his hair would part slightly, showcasing one eye, hazel in colour and lustrous in gaze, were it not for his other eye, which in reality, was not an eye at all.

"Excellent work my dear scientist friend," he spoke with a drawn out and slightly patronising tone, "shall we see if we have a breakthrough this time hmm?"  
"As you wish sir!" The scientist replied before rushing back to his position, looking up at a sealed off Perspex room before him. Towering like a monolith before everyone was a massive sheet of Perspex, reinforced to keep whatever was behind from jumping into further rooms. Beyond it was a sea of utopian white, a platform circular in shape that took prominence in the room and three probes mounted from the ceiling, pointed directly at the platform. With confidence, Pegasus moved to the sealed door, iron-clad and ominous, before undoing the vault style lock and entering the test chamber.

He paused, foregoing any form of protective goggles before the tell-tale sounds of machines whirred into life. The scientists all sprang into action, running checks, finding abnormalities, powering up the massive lasers that ominously pointed to a singularity. Thirty percent, forty, fifty. The numbers would continue to rise on the monitors, soon exceeding eighty when a glow could be seen out of the lasers before they fired with intensity. The beams merged just before the podium, saving it from obliteration. As the beams came together, a congealed blob would begin to materialise, getting larger and larger before forming a fully formed human size. One-hundred percent. A portal to another realm was constructed as smiling maniacally would be the millionaire Pegasus.

"Well at last! All my millions pumped from Industrial Illusions and finally I have my great ambition! Witness Maximillion Pegasus now make history and change the world of Duel Monsters forever!" Pegasus exclaimed, as his second eye became visible to everyone. It was made of solid gold, shining with a yellow beam in the centre that erupted with an intense purpose. To Pegasus, this was more than just a showcase of wealth, this was a showcase of toil and tears, digging away to find the ancient artefact that now rested in his eye socket. An ancient Egyptian sacred item, his Millennium Eye now pierced the portal, showcasing a destination, and without warning. He walked in, to never be the same human again.

In a realm estranged from the rest, a gentle breeze flowed through a town square while the clouds lazily drifted through in the skies, white and fluffy. By this point, over two-hundred people had gathered in this plaza, bustling and booming with life and nervous energy. Many people knew many others and had banded into groups. In front of them was a giant screen, and before them was the soliloquy of Maximillion Pegasus.

"Good morning duellists from around time and space! I am your ever-wonderful host and creator of Duel Monsters, Maximillion Pegasus. Now, a lot of you are wondering why you are here, who are the weird people stood next to you and why you are in some random city. I will say this very simply, this is Duellist City. A makeshift city designed for all of you to hone your crafts and get to the highest level possible, against the best duellists the universe has to offer. We will duel in an elimination-based tournament until one of you stands the tallest above everyone else, and the prize is very simple too. Your biggest wish will be granted without fail, no matter how difficult or impossible it may seem. When you go inside, we will be going old school! Each of you will pick up a PDA as well as your ID, before you will have access to the Industrial Illusions Arena's many facilities such as the card shop, the VIP suites and also the sleeping quarters. But before you can think about declining this fantastic offer, rest assured, I hold the only key out of Duellist City, and not only that, I can guarantee no harm will be done to you while you are here under my jurisdiction. By all means my talented friends and acquaintances, this is a chance to enjoy duelling at its finest. We have the King of Games, the owner of KaibaCorp, the Signer Dragons, the GX Tournament Champion, the World Duel Carnival champion and so many other great accolades across all of you. There shall be ten duels a day, so by all means, I welcome you to the Industrial Illusions Universal Championship!"

The screens all turned to live coverage of the tournament, with familiar faces shown such as the Master of Ceremonies and his pompous quiff which dominated the majority of the screen. With little choice, everyone filtered into the arena, preparing all that they needed to before the beginning of the tournament, before heading to their dedicated viewing zones in the gargantuan stadium that they found themselves in.

The first duel was about to begin, and with nervousness, up stepped a young man into the entrance tunnel. His hair was a mixture of purple and blond, spiking up in all manner of directions, giving off a unique feel about him. His eyes, also a purple colour, were dark and alluring and were the centrepiece of his facial features. Around his neck was a small belt, fashioned to look tougher and stronger, while down his arms were silver rimmed bracelets with blue and gold embroidery, adding to the underground feel. His jacket was a purplish-blue, slightly loose on him but hiding his plain black shirt he was wearing. His trousers matched his jacket in colour, held up by one belt, blue adorned with silver studs, and a second which slanted down the side of his right thigh, holding up his deck of cards. His shoes were black, as he began to take a hold of the gold pyramid draped around him on a necklace chain. The pyramid emitting a similar yellow glow to that of Pegasus' Millennium Eye, shaping the boy into a more robust, older and handsome figure who looked the very splitting image of him. The boy before was the King of Games, Yugi Muto. However, still being known as that, a different being was in control, the Pharaoh, Atem.

The loudspeaker began to reverberate around the jammed stadium. Hundreds of thousands of seats filled engulfed around into an intimate and intimidating atmosphere. It was a bigger venue than ever duelled in before, but one that Yugi knew he needed to do well in. He knew one thing for certain; this wasn't the Pegasus that had shown remorse later on in his friendship. This was the cold and dark Pegasus that took his grandfather Solomon away from him. He was a dangerous character, but one that had to be put away as quickly as possible. The only way forward was to find victories as his entrance was introduced.

"Introducing, from Domino City. He has twice been crowned the King of Games. Winner of the Grand Championship and Duellist Kingdom, he is unfathomably one of the all-time greats, Yugi Muto!" An eruption of cheers echoed through the stadium, not deterring the stoic and calm legend that graced the stage to see the field in front of him.

"What's this? Pegasus! Explain yourself!" Yugi boomed out, hoping to get an answer. To his surprise, a drone would cascade from the rafters of the stadium to hover ten feet above the arena, before a LED screen would pop out, Pegasus on the screen.  
"Oh Yugi boy, I'm afraid I don't have much choice you see. Duel Monsters in the future has evolved the meta dramatically from when you played. For you see, there are all sorts of types of monsters now you can find in the game, and one of the ways to balance the game of Duel Monsters out was to re-adjust the field in what was known as Master Rule Four. No hard feelings Yugi boy, but I suggest you watch all of these duels to understand how these new monsters work for you. Oh, and top tip, don't draw a sixth card if you go first."  
"Grr… Pegasus…" Yugi grimaced, knowing that this tournament would not be as easy as first thought. Before him was the traditional five monster zones and five spell and trap zones. However, along with the field spell zone on the right, two of the zones had red and blue arrows that meant nothing to the King of Games. On top of that, there were two adjacent monster zones in no man's land, leading to confusion and disruption. Any time to think would now have to be put into the back of his mind however, as his opponent was about to arrive.

Nervous, she ran out onto the stage, her smile infectious with all the love of life built inside. She was petite in build, only just over five-foot-tall but still making her own presence felt as she stood gazing into the crowd. Her auburn hair flowed in waves down past her shoulders and stopping at the small of her back. Her eyes were crystal blue as her gaze darted around from part to part, eyeing up the masses that looked at her. She wore a light t-shirt with the picture of a lion on it along with light green shorts and camouflage green shoes, making her feel like she had just come out of the jungle. As she finished taking in the audience, her attention turned to the legend stood in front of her, as her brash yet unwavering voice began to talk.

"So you are the first challenger then, Mr King of Games?" She playfully teased, looking for information out of the already distracted opponent opposite her.  
"Yes… and you would be?" Yugi replied however before getting an answer, the Master of Ceremonies piped up.  
"And also introducing, from Longleat, England. She is a member of the European Duelling Circuit with three ranked victories to her name, Jessica Goddard!" Jessica shrugged, looking coyly back at Yugi, implying that his question had already had a solution. Unperturbed, Yugi activated his duel disk. It was the classic mass production design of his generation, manufactured and developed by KaibaCorp and simplistic in design. In contrast, Jessica's duel disk was fully wrapped in camouflage, making the overall appearance difficult to discern the individual zones however that would be of little worry, for the holographic duel was about to commence.

"Duel!" They both shouted as the Industrial Illusions Universal Championship officially got underway.

Turn One: Jessica Goddard's Turn  
Jessica Goddard 4000  
Yugi Muto 4000

"I'll have the honour Mister King of Games." Jessica stated, looking down at her five starting cards, deliberating on her opening choice. She gazed over the cards that had kept her company for so many years, ones she trusted with everything she had, and with justification of her prowess, she made her first move.

"I Summon Spiritual Beast Pettlephin in defence mode!" She declared, placing her orange card horizontally across one of her slots. Immediately rising out of the ground with poise and elegance came a bright pink dolphin. She swam up, the light coming off of her guards on her flippers, the guards looking similar to an ancient Greek design. Her dorsal fin also bore similar design but as well as the silver and cerulean markings on the flippers, there were also a small blue gem hanging off of either side, a depiction of a whirlpool in the centre. Towards the rear of her body was a large cylindrical guard which closed tight to the blubbery surface of her pink body however had beautiful golden swirls which curled up on themselves. Just beyond the guard was a purple scarf, adorned with two more gems which was wrapped tightly around the base of her fluke. Her headpiece was silver and cerulean too, with a winglet on either side aiding aerodynamism but also having the headpiece act as a holder for a blue mirror, surrounded in gold writing which was embossed into the material. Four separate vortex inspired holders kept the mirror in place. No more than six foot in length, the subtlety lay in the darker purple markings across her body all the way to her fluke, which from a distance could have been easily mistaken as scars however looked deliberate and traditional as she came to rest on top of her card, her head facing her challenger. DEF 2000

The crowd all watched in splendour as the magnificent dolphin came to rest before Jessica continued.  
"I set one card face down and call an end to my turn." She said as the brown and black back to the card materialised onto the board. While it wasn't the most amazing turn in terms of quantity, the 2000 points of defence was always going to be a tough challenge to get over.  
"Very well then," Yugi confirmed, "Its my turn!" He shouted, drawing a card with vigour.

Turn Two: Yugi Muto's Turn  
Jessica Goddard 4000  
Yugi Muto 4000

His eyes darted over the cards like a moth to a light as he plucked one card out of his hand to play. The pharaoh knew what his soul was summoned to do, and that was to win the game that was first created in ancient Egypt many centuries ago. Arguably there was nobody else better in his time, and to continue how good he was, he would have to showcase that once more.

"I call upon the Magician's Robe and place it in defence mode!" Appearing before everyone was a beautiful hand made robe which looked like it was straight out of a fantasy role-playing game. The purple cloth looked regal, almost like royal colours as the light shone off of it however along with the purple was a striking orange that on the surface clashed heavily initially but as time wore on, it would suit more and more. Surprisingly, it looked like there was an actual person within the robe, yet the reality would be that there was nothing more than a faint magical outline, leaving a silvery white light to envelop the garment, giving off the impression of an illusion. The fully fleshed out garment stood tall with the orange that wrapped around the edges of the robe along with two lines on the cone shaped hat which was also a part of the outfit as well as the motif on the front of its chest. However, from the conjoined hat were two separate shoulder pads, maybe for protection however stuck out like crystalized shards. Not only that but in the front and the back, like jaws around the head area were two more pieces of purple cloth which showed off a more menacing side to the apparel. The being was knelt on translucent white knees and covered in guard with both arms over the solar plexus. DEF 2000

"Impressive cosplay Yugi, however defence won't help you get around Pettlephin over here!" Jessica said, placing her right hand on her hip.  
"As far as I see Jessica, this is a stalemate, so let me see what you can do to break the deadlock, it is now your turn after all." Yugi invited, looking intently at the board in front of him.

Turn Three: Jessica Goddard's Turn  
Jessica Goddard 4000  
Yugi Muto 4000

"With pleasure!" She retorted, drawing her card and adding it to her hand, picking up the draw that she wanted. A memento from a close friend and a card that was outlined both in orange and in green.

"You'll do nicely, I need your help after all Sophia. I summon Ritual Beast Tamer Zefrawendi in attack mode!" A magenta light erupted from the holographic projection of the card bringing forth the tamer into view. She seemed otherworldly with her presence, a gracious gift that stole all the charisma from the room and absorbed it into her being. She daintily landed on the floor, casting her gaze on the Magician's Robe across from her. Her eyes were purer than the Mediterranean sea off of the Cote D'Azur such was the shade of blue as her small face held her dainty nose and her tiny mouth. She wore a black cropped top which deemed to combat the cold with white wool surrounding both her neck and midway down her sleeves. Where the wool stopped on the sleeves, a strip of Elizabethan orange wrapped around her elbow area for a good five inches before the sleeve would begin to push out in all directions as if it was constantly at maximum capacity in a deep purple with gold swirls lining the outer perimeter and encroaching back into the sleeve. In spite of the choice of clothing, she wore black gloves which would be missed from any chauffeur in London for an A-list celebrity. Over the top of her black top was a light mossy brown bra which connected as one item of clothing (probably custom) to her black shorts which were held up by a similar coloured belt around the outside, connected like dungarees on the sides.

Her shorts made it a quarter of the way down her thighs as off of them came not only a shard like steel horn on either side but also two miniature wing-like structures that acted like stabilizers for her as she was airborne. They would start dark blue at the end of the wing and regress back into a green followed by a turquoise blue at the base, split by a golden support strip straight down the middle. Her boots were open toed and golden with an ankle support which wrapped up her calves like newly sprouted trees. In her left hand was a sceptre, which was silver in the body, moving all the way down to a gold ring base, adorned with a blue crystal on the bottom exact in design to one she wore around her neck, and the same on Pettlephin's fluke. Lower down would be a blue shaped aura that swirled around the sceptre before bearing three separate wings of aura that showed off it's magical prowess while moving up the sceptre, a silver diamond shape moved up and around a blue eye, the mark of the Zefra, before the top of the sceptre turned into a golden compass shape, the ends sharp and steel, to still be used as a weapon in melee even though the deep green sphere in the middle would attempt to stop anybody getting close enough to have a try. Her hair was interesting however as it floated on its own using her own psychic powers, however it came to a stop at this moment as it flowed in waves to the middle of her back in length. It was predominantly blonde with mixtures of green, pink and purple all scattered about like the end of an artist's paintbrush. On her head was a headband that seemed regal, spiked three times across it in a similar Zefra marking to showcase a level of royal status while in her left side of her hair was a green fountain like clip, extravagant in size which added a childlike nature to her and a pink flower clip in her right as she stood confidently on the field.

But like the counterpart dolphin to the right of her, she also bore the same purple markings all over her body, up her legs and body like tattoos which formed potentially a bond with each other, Jessica now watching as the audience marvelled her new monster to the field. ATT 1500

"Very good, however your monster's appearance is just enough of an audience I need to perform a magic trick!" Yugi declaratively spoke. From around the Magician's Robe, the silvery white light had developed into a smokescreen, obscuring the view to anything behind. Jessica stood back, trying to process the sudden transformation of her opponent's field.  
"W-what? A magic trick?"  
"Observe Jessica as my Magician's Robe's special ability activates! During your turn, at the cost of a spell card or a trap card in my hand, I can make my Robe summon its master. Now appear before me, Dark Magician!"

The smokescreen began to subside, showcasing a shadowy figure from the haze. His eyes pierced the veil first, purple and intertwined with arcane energy. Next came the robe, which compared to the Magician's Robe, was darker and more intense. The purple seemingly sucked in the light around it, accentuated by the red lining which swirled in a logarithmic shape. His hair was a dirty blond which mainly stayed hidden within the hooded section of the robe however, his long locks would show briefly through the gap. His skin was elven in nature, a pale green which stayed mostly hidden in the long sleeved robe that had been adorned. The same pale colour matched his rod's orb, which granted him magical power; the rod the same colour as his robes, purple and red. With the silvery light regressed back into the robe, the Dark Magician stood with purpose and patience, awaiting orders to strike as it had done so many times before to many a villain. ATT 2500 __

"So that's the legendary Dark Magician. I've always wanted to test myself against it and finally the time has come!" Jessica excitedly jumped, smiling at the legendary figure in front of her. Despite the excitement, there was a bigger issue. With the 2500 attack points that Dark Magician had, she needed there was no way that her Ritual Beast Tamer Zefrawendi was going to get past either of Yugi's monsters. Clearly, she needed a way to protect herself and fortunately for her, her monsters had a very special effect.

"It's still my turn and by no means am I done with it Yugi!" She declared.  
"Very well Jessica, give me the best that you have to offer!" Yugi replied.  
"My pleasure, because my Spiritual Beasts and my Ritual Beast Tamers have special abilities. They share very special bonds which allow me to fusion summon monsters without the need to use the Polymerization spell card!"  
"Without Polymerization?!" Yugi exclaimed. While there were cards in his era of Yu-Gi-Oh that could special summon fusion monsters like Cyber Stein, he had never heard of such an effect to fusion summon without the Polymerization spell card. The entire complexity of the duel had changed by that knowledge alone.  
"Observe Yugi, because my Spiritual Beast Pettlephin and my Ritual Beast Tamer Zefrawendi are about to combine their energies and contact fuse together. Merge and form Ritual Beast Ulti-Pettlephin!"

On command, the two monsters sprang up into the air in sequence. Both Pettlephin and Zefrawendi were in full sync, spiralling around each other as they climbed out of the stadium and into the sky, gaining speed and rotation as they disappeared into a single glint outside of the naked eye like a star in the cosmos. Floating down in comparison were the two now combined as one. Riding just behind the dorsal fin, Zefrawendi was dressed in a more summery attire. The gloves she previously wore were no longer there, opting to go bare handed, while the wooden nature of her exoskeleton like garments were more traditional in their cut of leather. She wore an indigo and black sleeveless, cheerleader style article of clothing which as a one piece outfit extended halfway towards her kneecaps. Over the top of it was a more vibrant purple skirt that took all attention away from the one piece outfit. Most notably, her staff was drastically different. No longer bearing the mark of the Zefra, the staff was sleek and lighter, yet the green sphere had transformed into a cerulean that matched Pettlephin's colours.

Pettlephin in comparison looked far more tougher and brutish. The armour on her melon was shield like, bearing two horns on either side not too dissimilar to a Viking's helmet. The added helmet protection bore the same cerulean colouring however replacing the silver with gold. The patterns would be the same on the side of the headgear which bore three plates to aid aerodynamism with the whole front of the dorsal fin covered up. The fins now had full plating on the leading edge, leaving no more room for growth with a very similar plate design on top of the fins. The sphere that gave Pettlephin power was now the prime target on the shield but perfectly matched, gold rim and all, the sphere that Zefrawendi was holding while the blue scarf that normally was around the fluke was longer and hanging like a miniature sail off of the dorsal fin. Levitating head on to the Dark Magician, the purple fusion card arose from underneath, telling everyone that the ultimate Pettlephin was in defence mode. DEF 2800

"Well that covers my life points for now." Jessica thought, still in some capacity in awe at the ease of Yugi opposite summoning the Dark Magician.  
"Your defences may be high but it is virtually impossible to win on defence alone!" Yugi stated, almost reading Jessica's mind. "You have a lot going for you right now, but now is the time where I show you just how capable the Dark Magician truly is! It's my turn!"

Turn Four: Yugi Muto's Turn  
Jessica Goddard 4000  
Yugi Muto 4000

"I draw!" Yugi barked as he calmly took the top card off of his deck and added it into his hand. A wave of confidence flowed through the Pharaoh as he looked over his cards, believing in his abilities and visualising the play that was about to go down.  
"I hope you're ready, because my Dark Magician is missing one thing to truly be a magician of legend."  
"And what would that be Yugi?" Jessica quizzically replied.  
"That would be a glamorous assistant! I tribute my Magician's Robe in order to summon the Dark Magician Girl in attack mode!"

From beneath the magician's robe, a pentagram with runic writing materialised from underneath, sucking the symbol of the Dark Magician seemingly into another dimension like a strawberry being dunked into custard. Once the entirety of the robe was absorbed into the circle, a lightning blue glow raced around the pentagram, lighting up the runic symbols in the process. Meanwhile, adjacent to the ring and vertically facing Jessica from just in front of Yugi was a light blue pentagram, this time without any runes around it. As the light fully beamed up, signalling completion, the star shape in the air began to emit harsh blue light, bringing forth the Dark Magician Girl.

Materialising out of the portal came a woman, in her mid twenties, floating around with relative ease. Her blonde hair fell halfway down her back, unchanged by the blue and pink magician's hat that she wore almost like a crown, irreplaceable and always making sure it was perfectly atop her head. Her blue eyes and gentle look captivated every male member of the audience who let out a raucous cheer as soon as she came into eye contact. Well rounded in the chest department, her magician's dress also followed the pink and blue scheme with a small rim of purple just before the pink cloth that flowed three fifths of the way down to her kneecaps. as a part of her dress, another pink cloth formed a cape, showcasing her ability to fly, which was possible due to her wand which no more than two feet in length, golden at either end but rounded in a swirling shape on top, also blue with rings of pink implying where to hold it. Her gauntlets covered the entirety of her forearm also in blue however two red circular gems adorned them on either end with the gem closest to the hand encroached up past her wrist to finish halfway up the back of her hand. Her boots had very little heel while also holding another gem on the ankle, the third line of pink around the blue. Not really noticeable to most people, her broach that sat in the middle of her chest bore the pentagram insignia used to summon her as she hovered daintily above the floor, poised for her next command. ATT 2000

"So that's the Dark Magician Girl? Well you know how to get the men on your side Yugi!" Jessica chortled, amused by the reactions of the crowd. However her confidence came from the attack points difference. thanks to the 2800 defence points Ulti-Pettlephin had, she felt safe in the knowledge that there was no way that Yugi could push over the top of her monster.  
"Next I activate the equip spell card Magic Formula! This spell card can only be equipped to the Dark Magician or the Dark Magician Girl, and in doing so, the monster equipped gains 700 extra attack points!" Yugi decreed.  
"Wait, but that means-"  
"You're exactly right. My Dark Magician's the holder of the magic formula, raising his attack points to 3200, which is more than enough to turn your dolphin into blubber!"

Out from the ground, a stone pedestal rose up methodically. The dull grey cylindrical pillar rose a solid three and a half feet up before grinding to a halt in front of the Dark Magician. With immediacy, the Dark Magician slowly lifted up a sealed tome from the centre, allowing the pillar to systematically recede back into the floor. The tome was leather-backed, adorned on the front with six small green gems on either side of the book, split into groups of three by the leather bind which fastened around the middle of the spine and pages, both ends fastened on the front of the tome. A motif of two feather quills appeared twice, once on the bottom of the front cover and another, smaller, on the top of the same cover. Underneath the top motif was a larger green gemstone, seemingly the origin for the magical source. in the top corners were three engraved sections of a full circle, two in the outer layer and one in the inner layer. Throughout most of the front cover was brass craftsmanship which angularly weaved around the steel plating on the tome. In the centre was a keyhole, which seemed out of place were it not for the gold key that was half jammed into into the bind yet seemed a permanent fixture of the tome if not for the secrets of the Dark Magician.

Placing a solitary index finger through the key's grip, the Dark Magician began to pull the key through a material plane and out of the leather bind. Dragging the whole key out, it glinted in the late morning sunlight before it would break another material plane, being placed inside of the seemingly drawn keyhole on the front of the tome. He turned the key in the lock, making the tome's bind fizzle into thin air and allow the tome to be opened. Once opened, the thirteen gems on the front cover began to softly glow an emerald green, making the runic letterings jump out of the page and flow through the Dark Magician, imbuing him with additional power.

"Dark Magician, destroy Jessica's Ritual Beast Ulti-Pettlephin with Dark Magic Attack!" The Pharaoh ordered, as the Dark Magician's eyes locked onto the dolphin and master combination in front of him. Tome in one hand, staff in the other, the sphere inside of the staff began to brightly glow the colour of the tome, beginning to manifest an arcane ball of dark energy. The purple and black swirl of mass expanded to about three foot in diameter before the Dark Magician thrusted the staff forward, aimed directly at the shield of Ulti-Pettlephin's armour. The arcane ball swiftly followed, accelerating towards the opponent and crashing with the force of a bulldozer falling of a cliff into the side of Ulti-Pettlephin, creating a massive explosion of grey dust and smoke that filled the far side of the arena. Yugi smiled, pleased to have gotten rid of the defences that stood in front of him. The pleasure soon polymorphed into astonishment, for the dolphin that was meant to be destroyed was still alive and well, joined with a lion with a mane of flames and a falcon with rich green feathers. The first strike would not be Yugi's, but more rather Jessica's. Yugi had been baited into an attack.

To Be Continued...


	2. Welcome to the Tournament, Yugi-Boy P2

"You survived my attack?" Yugi asked, watching the swarming legion making ranks.  
"I sure did! My trap card activated when you attacked. Ritual Beast Steeds! Because I control a Ritual Beast monster, I can destroy a number of monsters on your side of your field equal to mine! So say goodbye to your attacking Dark Magician!" Jessica predicted, pointing out to the purple arcane caster just in front of her. On command, the various creatures began to screech and wail discordantly, sonically creating a wall of sound that pulsated over the battlefield, directed at the Dark Magician who buckled to one knee, hands clasped over his ears in desperation. What little hair that was showcased blew backwards like a head stuck in front of a fan before finally the magician's day was numbered, destroyed and sent to the graveyard before the various steeds vanished back towards the card and disappeared to leave Ulti-Pettlephin back on the board alone once again.

"Well played, but Dark Magician's falling holds two important consequences. The first is that my Dark Magician Girl doesn't take too kindly to fallen comrades of the magician's order, and as such, she gains an additional 300 attack points for every card labeled Dark Magician in the graveyard! But not just that, for you see, you also took to the graveyard with my Dark Magician, his magical scriptures, the Magic Formula! When Magic Formula is sent from the field to the graveyard, it's seal breaks and releases a healing spell, giving me 1000 additional life points!" A soft green light gently fell from above Yugi's head, holding restorative powers as his life point meter jumped up to 5000, giving him the lead in the competition.

Yugi Muto: 5000

"With that, I set two cards face down and end my turn. It's your move Jessica."  
"With pleasure!" She answered, drawing her card from the top of her deck.

Turn Five: Jessica Goddard's Turn  
Jessica Goddard 4000  
Yugi Muto 5000

Jessica smirked as she looked over at the board state in front of her. While she was behind in field presence, she had cards she could use in her hand to change the play that she wanted to swing the play in her favour. Looking down at the card she just drew, she had a sneaking suspicion that the first true momentum shift was about to take place.

"I summon Spiritual Beast Apelio in attack mode!" A flicker of amber flame erupted from her card that danced into position like a will o'the wisp. Materialising out of the flame was a lion, mane fiery in the same amber colour that also matched a flame shaped tail which flicked about with as much ferocity as a bonfire. The mane itself was not made of flames as green plantlife like bangs helped to pin the mane backwards along the scalp down towards its back. The same patterns also appeared on its flank and above all four paws, connecting the out of place lion with nature. Its paws were snow white in conjunction with its humerus which extended down to the underbelly. The rest of the body was a clay red, not too dissimilar to a tanooki raccoon and accented the mane further. Its eyes stared down the female magician in front with childish confidence while pearl white fangs that looked like deadly razors awaited upon command. An orange circular gem sat upon a black collar around its neck, adorned with four white appendages at right angles. On its back though was a saddle, black and red with stirrups that dangled down alluding to the fact that this beast was more attuned to being domesticated than a normal feral lion. ATT 1800

"A nice move, however you're going to need more than that to defeat my Dark Magician Girl! The 1800 attack points your lion has is less than the 2300 attack points my magician girl has." Yugi stated, wondering in the back of his mind why Jessica would summon a monster that was weaker deliberately.  
"You are very observant Yugi, but also very quick to jump the gun, because my Apelio is going to come into use a little later. But first, watch as my Ritual Beast Ulti-Pettlephin activates its special ability and reverts back to its fusion material!"  
"Wait it can do what?!" Yugi exclaimed as the dolphin and rider soared up into the sky like an arrow before returning back as the original dolphin and tamer, patiently awaiting instruction in defence mode, once more Spiritual Beast Pettlephin and Ritual Beast Tamer Zefrawendi.  
"Impressed? That is called contacting out and one of the reasons why my Ritual Beasts have been feared in professional circles. I'm not done there though as my Zefrawendi is eligible for another contact fusion, this time, with our lion friend Apelio over here. Zefrawendi! Apelio! Contact fuse together to create Ritual Beast Ulti-Apelio!"

On a moment's notice, the tamer and the lion both gave each other a nod of acknowledgment before both Zefrawndi and Apelio leapt skyward, leaving trails of blue and red in the sky, twisting like flax up until the pair became one before the new aberration began to descend. In a blaze of intense heat, the new fully formed beast landed typically feet first as the lion now fully formed stood a good four foot taller. Its bright mane was now fully formed and more intimidating than ever, being held with the same strand of leaves however now much further extended like two faux devil horns. Guarding the face though was a solid steel plate that rose up from the nose in four horns; two slender horns up and over the mane and two more stubbier horns pushing out to either side. On both of the front paws were two steel gauntlets. One on the elbow and the other on the pastern. Sprouting from all four legs were the familiar earthen swirls that sprouted three autumnal leaves which while seemingly decorational added just a hint of added protection. This was coupled with the orange, circular gem resting on its chest that seemed to be worth millions in money. The partial guard at the front was fully formed at the rear, completely encasing Ulti-Apelio in full plate armour while its tail flicked about with intensity, ready to strike.

Riding in the stirrups, Zefrawendi had made a full transformation into a completely different tamer. Gone was the more angelic and childlike look to be replaced with a boisterous and confident persona. Her blonde hair flew like ribbons in the breeze as she grasped onto her half druidic, half mechanical staff. Looking like an elegant cross pein hammer, the staff looked more melee than ranged despite the fact that the metal flat end was imbued with the same orange gem that Ulti-Apelio wore on its chest. In her hair was a small crown which sat attached onto a black hairband that sat behind her ears. A royal red mantle with a fluffy white collar was draped on her back and comfortably flowed in the arena. Her dress was a leafy green hemmed around her cleavage in yellow while her arms were fully protected in a thin black silk. The dress split off at the ends just beneath her magatama, vital in her relationship with the lion. Her gloves were white and acted as flammable protection from her lion partner as her tights she wore were also in the same protective black. Her legs were plated and formed the only natural protection from any oncoming attacks she had. Brash and bold, she sat poised, itching to go out and begin the onslaught. ATT 2600.

"That's a very powerful lion. If that gets its full force behind us, we could be in huge trouble!" The voice inside of Yami Yugi's head began to speak. It was his other half, the host of the body he was borrowing and the original Yugi.  
"That may be true Yugi, however we have enough protection to avoid a full barrage at this point, but I agree, this doesn't look great."  
"Don't forget about my dolphin Yugi!" Jessica advanced.  
"Wait, your Pettlephin has a special ability?" the Pharaoh asked.  
"You're absolutely right! By discarding one Ritual Beast card from my hand to the graveyard, I can send your Dark Magician Girl straight back to the hand!" She boasted, eliminating her Ritual Beast Return from her hand, beginning the process of attack.

The card flashed inside of the protective headgear of the dolphin, flashing once in a radiant blue. In mere moments, a bright circular orb was starting to manifest just in front of it. The orb was almost the size of her head before the arcane energy was sent with ferocious speed and the closest thing to a smile that a dolphin could do, smashing hard into the helpless magician stood at the other end, getting launched backwards and off of the field, reverted back into card form, returned to the King of Games' hand. Staring down the creature born into flame, Yugi now found himself defenceless.  
"Dark Magician Girl no…" He spoke to himself, looking down at his now enlarged hand.  
"Perfect, you're wide open! Ritual Beast Ulti-Apelio, strike Yugi's life points directly with Amber Aura Burst!"

The lion reared up, preparing for attack and beginning to stride forward with intensity. Both the gems on the lion and laying in the weapon that the tamer held changed from a dormant state into a bright glowing amber, resonating together to form a protective shield of flame which flickered and flared up all around them. Charging forward with purpose and intention, the floor where they had been begun to singe underneath them as the bullet like ferocity struck the helpless Yugi square on, sending him catapulting backwards almost thirty feet before he slid to a halt at the edge of the arena.

Yugi Muto: 2400

"Nnngh.. The bite is worse than the bark, I can say that much." Yugi muttered as he groggily got to his feet.  
"You're up for more? Very well. I end my turn but for next turn, you better be prepared!"

Turn Six: Yugi Muto's Turn  
Jessica Goddard: 4000  
Yugi Muto: 2400

"Get it together Pharaoh," The original Yugi willed, "We have no idea about what happens if we lose this duel and we walked right into that trap two turns ago that puts us here."  
"You're right Yugi. We've been second best right from the get go and now is as good a time as any to change it." Yami Yugi responded, his face furrowed with concentration as he attempted to swing destiny into his favour. Sweat dripping off of his brow, he drew his card. Perfection.

"I shall start by activating my trap card Eternal Soul!" Yugi commanded, revealing his face down card. A rumbling could be felt around the stadium which rocked the very foundations that the stadium was built upon. Rising up to the right of Yugi was a stone tablet, almost perfectly carved dimensionally to the specifications of a Yu-Gi-Oh card. The only true difference was the foot of depth that the tablet had in comparison to the paper thin playing cards. Etched onto the tablet was an ancient carving which looked to depict a wizard of some kind facing to the left and casting some magic. Tonally, the tablet seemed very out of place in the almost utopian stadium that the first round match was being played in.  
"So you have a big stone tablet, big deal, what is that going to achieve for you?" Jessica half heartedly asked.  
"Let me entertain that for you as my continuous trap will demonstrate, because once per turn, I am able to special summon one Dark Magician from either my hand or my graveyard and I am pretty sure you know what happened to my fabled magician on my last turn. Now rise again, Dark Magician!"

The tablet began glowing an ethereal blue, lighting up the carving as well as some previously hidden hieroglyphs in the bottom left corner of the tablet. Tracing its way around the legs, up the body and through the staff, appearing out of the stone was the same purple magician from before, one that cast a legendary shadow in the world of duel monsters. Standing slightly smaller than the tablet, he stared down the lion which growled and bore its fangs. ATT 2500  
"Hate to burst your little family reunion however my Ulti-Apelio is stronger than your magician, so it seems that your dramatic reappearing act is going to fail to wow your audience."  
"You're too quick to pass judgment Jessica, for the card I drew this turn was the true legend all along. For you see, I shall call upon a figure that has only ever been whispered in legend. For I will play my legendary dragon, The Eye of Timaeus!"

A light shot out of the dull green card, beaming up to the sky and a partially clouded portion of the skies. Bursting from the clouds and descending towards the battlefield came the legendary dragon, its wings flapping with the force of gales down towards the earth, angling towards the ground with not pure speed but with authority. The hulking size of the dragon was beyond belief. Its muscles were the size of small cottages and stood almost as toned and as meaty as any dragon could be. Its dull green scales were alluring and almost hypnotic as was the cream underbelly that it possessed which ran all the way up to its lower jaw. The dragon had pectoral muscles and a full six pack of abdominal muscles, towering above everyone before resonating with a primal roar that shook the buildings for miles around. Small jagged spikes ran down its spine before petering out at the base of it's eight foot tail which in and of itself was thicker than a tree trunk. Its skull was terrifying, consisting of two gilled flaps acting like ailerons for flying and also massive for the intimidation factor. Two sharp horns, devil like in nature grew from a central position, in themselves a hefty price if a hologram could be poached. Its eye was azure blue, piercing with a small scar that bisected the eye at ninety degrees.

"Wow. When the world knew you had legendary monsters in your deck, that was not the one I was expecting to see!" Jessica gazed up in awe. In countless books and videos she had seen the stature of some of Yugi's greatest victories, going from tournament to tournament but the mention of Timaeus was one only stated around hearsay.  
"It gets better. Observe! My legendary dragon Timaeus will now fuse with my Dark Magician in order to form the defender of all realms. Arise, Dark Magician, The Dragon Knight!"

Rising martyr-like up into the air, a transformation began for the Dark Magician. His robes began to sheen over from silk to metal, adding the protection that was vitally needed. However, gone was his trademark staff which now were replaced by a Longsword being wielded remarkably in one hand along with a diamond shaped shield, bordered in red with four blade-like motifs adorning a green gem, at least fifteen centimeters from top to bottom. The gem resonated with the longsword which in the handle also had a lustrous green gem, rounded and about five centimeters in diameter and the centerpiece of the handle which held the traditional Dark Magician colours. The half plate armour was a custom fit, guarding the shoulders twice over and covering his back with a metallic hood very similar to a stag beetle. This also contributed to the yellow metallic belt which held a dark red and purple dragon motif, subtle compared to the armour around the magician's belly that made the armour look more like fashion than protection. He still had the cone shaped hat however that too had also morphed, now a makeshift helmet complete with a knight's visor to protect the eyes. All of this was happening on top of a colossus of a dragon, fangs bearing down on its opponent, ready to strike at a moment's notice. ATT 3000

"Not good…" Jessica thought to herself, "if that Dragon Knight breaks through my board, I won't have many options to get around this. I'm going to have to cut my losses now and find a way to regroup." Jessica looked up at Timaeus and the legendary knight with doubt beginning to creep in. "I contact out!" She ordered with a tone of regret. On cue, the ferocious lion pounced up into the air, splitting back out into the components that existed once before, the small and adorable lion Apelio as well as the maiden tamer Zefrawendi. DEF 200 and 1000 respectively.

"Well if you're going on the back foot, we shall put our best foot forward! Dark Magician, the Dragon Knight, strike down the tamer Zefrawendi with Shining Dark Energy Burst!" Upon command, the two gems began to glow a dull green before sparking into a divine bright light. Two miniature beams began to form, colliding into each other before spearing towards the Ritual Beast Tamer in front as if there was a sniper's target. Timaeus opened his jaw, gathering cosmic blue energy in its mouth, supercharging it before firing a spectral beam that cannoned towards the prone tamer, knelt arms crossed on her card before wiping her away without even so much of a chance for defence. The scorch mark behind the blast and the subsequent explosion proved that there was next to nothing that could be done in order to combat just how deadly the dragon knight could be.

"My tamer…" Jessica lamented, knowing that the blast damage was the best limitation she could find.  
"I end my turn here, it is now your turn Jessica." Yugi assertively said.

Turn Seven: Jessica Goddard's Turn  
Jessica Goddard: 4000  
Yugi Muto: 2400

"Ok Jessica, time to pull this back together and take control!" She playfully masked as she drew her card with gusto, trying to pump the crowd up as much as possible. Her only option was to find a way to get back to an ultimate Ritual Beast, however that prospect was easier said than done. Despite this, the inner insecurities were being washed away as she drew a card that could make the play she was hoping for.

"I summon Ritual Beast Tamer Elder in defence mode!" Materialising into reality was a wise old man, not frail or overly weak but surprisingly youthful looking skin wise for someone of his age. His grey hair was shaggy, stopping just above his eyes and on the sides falling halfway down his head, covering his ears. Despite the scruffy front, his hair was long and flowing from his ponytail that fell down to the middle of his back. His eyes were steely and brown but often hidden beneath his white moustache and beard. His dress sense was also very radical, wearing a thin green scarf that wrapped around him a good dozen times before flapping off in the gale force flaps from Timaeus. Along with this was a beige robe that was very thin and flowing, used to channel the telepathic bond in a similar way to that of a spirit medium. His trousers were also made from a thin cloth, in a similar shade of green to his scarf, as he shielded his tome, brown with steel corners on the cover and an embossed circular pattern on the front cover that glowed yellow next to his left hand. In his right hand was a staff that created a small light source around him, sparking from the five sigils that gave off an electrical feel from a singular orb. He knelt with purpose as he sat calmly on his card, surveying the field. DEF 1000

"Opting for defence? I suppose what else can you do in this situation with just one normal summon?" Yugi queried, looking at a wall of bodies to protect the scrambling Jessica.  
"You think so? I hate to burst your bubble but my Elder has a special ability! When my Elder is normal summoned, I am allowed to normal summon once more in addition to the normal summon I normally get. How very normal right?" She smiled, beaming as she looked to put her plan into motion."Another normal summon? I've never heard of such a thing!" Yugi replied, once again adjusting to another powerful ability.  
"This doesn't seem good Pharaoh, we have no idea how many combinations she can make with another normal summon." Yugi warned the spirit occupying him.  
"You're right, we must be on our guard, there are things we don't quite understand here." The Pharaoh responded.  
"Now using the extra normal summon I have been granted, I can now summon my Ritual Beast Tamer Lara in defence mode!"

Staring blankly at the magician and his dragon, the tamer arose to sit patiently on her card. Her staff was clasped in both hands, horizontal to her body as she looked to brace for any impact. The staff itself was very reminiscent of Ulti-Apelio's staff, however the girl herself was more reserved, nervous even. Her green eyes ogled the hulking dragon ahead of her as she bit her dainty bottom lip. Her blonde hair parted in long bangs messily despite the natural cylindrical curls that fell down the right side of her face down over her shoulder. In the middle of those curls was the same orange gem that was present on Apelio's collar. Wrapped around Lara's body was her cape, white and fluffy around the collar with two spikes, one on both shoulders. The exterior was a pale green but inside showcased the matador red that highlighted potential for the future. Her dress included black and gold custom leather breastplate which bore the front of attacks with the otherwise thin and frail garb. Her green dress formed in two parts, an overall dress, pale green that was held in place by a chunky black belt containing three ivory magatamas and a two piece blouse that parted centrally, exposing her belly button to the world. Both her leggings and gloves were a velvet black as she composed herself in front of the hulking paladin figure in front of her. DEF 2000

"Four monsters are mightily impressive but not one of them are in position to deal any damage to my life points!" Yugi declared, examining the board.  
"That may be true, but I have a card that will change all of that as I activate Ritual Beast's Bond!"  
"Ritual Beast's Bond?!" Yugi exclaimed with genuine shock.  
"That's right, Ritual Beast's Bond. It's a spell card that allows me to banish two Ritual Beast monsters from my side of the field and in exchange, I can special summon one Ritual Beast monster from my extra deck while ignoring its summoning conditions!" Jessica grinned as she explained.  
"Impossible!" Yugi protested, almost despairingly as he knew that nothing he had was powerful enough to stop the next monster from reaching the field.  
"Hate to break your bubble but it very much is possible. I remove Ritual Beast Tamer Elder and Ritual Beast Tamer Lara from play in order to summon my Ritual Beast Ulti-Gaiapelio in attack mode!"

Lara and the Elder's staff's began to spark and glow respectively, sparking the area around them into both electrical and flammable force fields. Once the power had reached a critical level, the two tamers shot upwards and backwards, like two laser beams out of the stadium. A couple of seconds of hush followed before the slow and methodical thumps that shook the very foundations that the arena had been built on. The looming shadow began to obscure the field before the Pharaoh caught eyes on just how large a creature was upon him.

Vaulting over the crowds in the stadium came a colossal lion. Standing at least a hundred feet tall, the giant lion looked down upon the field, dwarfing Timaeus by a solid fifty feet. Its mane was constructed by flame, lapping over the vine and steel that protected the flesh and proved to be a lethal weapon in the arsenal. This all stemmed around the pure white helmet, bordered with yellow around the guards and decorated in a dark terracotta red. Two devil horns snaked out from the top of the helmet, just in front of the massive petal mane, rose shaped that grounded the earthen deity. It's back was a lush green grassland housing a solitary oak tree that itself sprouted a further sixty-five feet into the sky. Its legs were a good fifteen feet in diameter, made entirely out of light bark that had its own microcosms of life growing between the plates of armour at the joints and the four paws which sprouted life with every step. Impressively an anemone flower grew out to form its tail, raised up to the heavens to grow in a symbiotic relationship with the behemoth lion. For all the natural aspects of this creature, two crystal and futuristic shards of protection jutted out from its scapula, adding more wonder to the titanic figure that dwarfed the field. Almost impossible to see on top of the gigantic lion was Lara, knelt down next to its mane, and ready to order instructions. 3200 ATT

"Pharaoh, we may just be a light snack at this point!" Yugi panicked, as he gazed up at the piercing cerulean icily staring his vessel down. There was no response from the Pharaoh, as he took in the spectacle before his eyes.  
"That makes Timaeus seem no more than a newt in a pond!" An agitated Pharaoh spoke, staring at a beast that rivalled in size to very few creatures, the only others he knew being those that his and other legendary duelist's decks had kept all to their own a solid five thousand years ago.  
"Well you've forced me to commit everything Yugi, now it's time to bring this duel back into my hands. Ritual Beast Ulti-Gaiapelio, strike down the Dragon Knight with Zefran Inferno Rebirth!"

Lana directed her staff, pointing down at the Legendary Dragon and it's magician. On cue, the lion began to rear up, the flames on the helmet began to flare up with an unbelievable intensity. The crystals began to disintegrate from the main body, floating up in front of Gaiapelio's mouth, ready to be fired at a moment's notice. The flames began to be pushed forward, licking over the crystals which remained unmoved, unchanged. The final phase saw the growth of life inside of the flames, grass, flowers and insects all flourished in the fire, completely against the laws of nature before a piercing cry reverberated around the dimension. The crystals fired with razor sharp accuracy, conglomerated into one single missile, driven towards the Dragon Knight with an intense power that which couldn't be matched. The Pharaoh remained static, locked in place through a mixture of awe and fear.  
"Pharaoh, we have an out to this!" Yugi tried to burst into the Pharaoh's consciousness.  
"Yugi, you're correct. I reveal my trap card!"  
"You what?" Jessica grimaced as her plan began to unravel.  
"Activate Magic Cylinder! This card allows me to take your attack through my first cylinder, negate it and then I can target your attack straight back at your life points!"  
"No way, I can't even use Gaiapelio's effect because I don't have any cards in my hand…" She knew that she had nothing to respond with as the two cylinders rose up from under the ground, both turning, one at forty-five degrees towards the impending blast and the other aimed like a sniper rifle towards the helpless commander. The crystals entered the first cylinder, magically disappearing into nothingness before suddenly appearing out of the second, firing with even quicker speed towards Jessica. Powerless to stop the blast, it struck, rocking the stadium as the smoke billowed up into the skies. Jessica fell backwards, blasted fifteen feet and down the steps of the stage of battle. Looking up, her life points, once untouched now found themselves tipping on the edge of collapse, with her turn soon to end.

Jessica Goddard: 800

"Unghh… that hurt…" She said, groggily getting to her feet and staggering up the stairs back to the battlefield to find that where once was the solid stage was now a covering around her feet of grass, flowers and insects, the rebirth of life.  
"You still have the ability to stand?" Yugi asked while concerned.  
"Yes… I'm fine… I still have life points and beasts to shield myself so we are far from finished!" Jessica rallied, pumping herself up to try and bring herself back into play.  
"Well that's good, and I believe without a card to use, it is the end of your turn yes?"  
"Yes, it's your move, King of Games."

Turn Eight: Yugi Muto's Turn  
Jessica Goddard: 800  
Yugi Muto: 2400

"It's all well and good that we have dealt damage Pharaoh but we have to find a way to get around that massive lion. It's way more powerful than anything we have and if we can't get around it then we are going to lose the duel!" Yugi exclaimed.  
"We will be fine Yugi, have you not been with me all this time and not realised the one thing we do above all else? I believe in my deck to find a solution and to do that means believing in the heart of the cards." The Pharaoh responded in good faith.  
"You're right Pharaoh, if we can draw one single card that will win us this duel, then we can sit pretty for a good week before our next match!"  
"It's my turn, I draw a card!" Yugi commanded, as if every fiber of his being was willing destiny to select the one card that would be decisive in this duel, the one card he had pulled so many times before in so many situations. Once again, he did.

"I activate the spell card Bond Between Teacher and Student! This card can only be activated if I control a Dark Magician on my side of the field."  
"Wait a minute, you don't have Dark Magician on your side of the field, you have Dark Magician the Dragon Knight!" Jessica protested, eager to quash any counterattack that could be changed.  
"I would check again, because my Dragon Knight has a special ability which means while on the field, Dark Magician the Dragon Knight is always treated as Dark Magician! And because of this, I am allowed to summon the Dark Magician Girl from my hand, deck or graveyard!"

In a flash, the Dragon Knight pointed his sword at the ground, producing a portal from nothingness. Swiftly rising up out and flying back to greet the crowd was the Dark Magician Girl, smiling as ever however this time more determined with a much more powerful master by her side. ATT 2300  
"Now because I have summoned the Dark Magician Girl, I can set from my deck one card that contains Dark Magic Attack, Dark Burning Attack, Dark Burning Magic or Dark Magic Twin Burst into my spell and trap card zone. The card I select is Dark Burning Attack and immediately, I activate that very spell!"  
"Wait, straight after being set?" Jessica queried.  
"Observe! As long as I control the Dark Magician Girl on the field, I can destroy all monsters on your side of the field! Dark Magician Girl, Dark Burning Attack!"

The magician girl smiled, flying up to meet eye to eye with the goliath in front of her before bringing forth the potential stored within her. Her wand began to glow, moving all around her body, cloaking her in a translucent light. Appearing in juxtaposition from her wand was a purple orb, sparking with black necrotic energy, creating a chaotic formula which left the stadium breathless. She fired, three blasts of energy which slammed hard in all directions, knocking the dolphin and the baby lion out first, blasting with two minor explosions. The battle against Ulti-Gaiapelio was miles different as the lion struggled against the sheer force. The icy glare from the narrowed eyes soon widened when all of its energy was expended with no chance of survival, creating shockwaves around the stadium that rippled through the bodies. The explosion rocked the stadium as the beast was no more, and Jessica was defenceless for the first and the last time.  
"Dark Magician the Dragon Knight, end this duel with Shining Dark Energy Burst!"

Jessica looked up, and stood directly above her was the legendary dragon, piloted by a legendary knight. The Dark Magician, without remorse, in cold elven fashion, pointed the sword upon his foe. Timaeus began charging, the intensity in his eyes fading from before into understanding before firing the decisive shot. The explosion was white, smoke only that smoldered around where Jessica, defeated, was standing. As she fell to her knees, the last of her life points dropped to zero. She fell in defeat.

Jessica Goddard: 0

"Yugi Muto Wins!" The announcer declared as the stadium erupted into cheers. Yugi walked over, offering his hand out to Jessica, who was on her hands and knees, crying into the stage.  
"Jessica, you fought bravely out there, and put on quite a show. It was a pleasure to duel you in these circumstances." Yugi tried to console.  
"You don't get it," Jessica snapped back, distraught, "you don't see what I was fighting for. I came to this tournament with one goal in mind, to see my friend again who I thought I would never have the chance to see alive! When we were in the amateur leagues, there were six of us who all looked like making it pro. We dominated the circuit, always one of us picking up the victory. But the best of us was Sophia. She was amazing, could have given you a real scare, but she… she had a terminal illness! And her Zefra cards were all split amongst us when she died! That's why… That's why… That's why I wanted to win this tournament! So I could go and see her one more time, to thank her for the cards and for being such an amazing person who helped bond us together as our generation's elite!" Jessica couldn't hold her tears back as she passionately recounted her friendship.  
"I can see this means a great deal to you, but rest assured Jessica that the duel we had would have made her proud. You didn't put a foot wrong, but ultimately the heart of the cards fell in my favour this time. Thank you for pushing me to play my best." Yugi held his hand out to shake Jessica's. Reluctant but understandingly, she met his hand with her own, causing a rapturous cheer to echo around the arena. Upon completion, they both parted ways and made their return to their own areas. Duel one of the tournament had been completed. The next battle was soon to begin.


End file.
